July Country Meeting 2019

Beverley

This year’s July Country weekend was based in Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire with the meeting held on Saturday 13th July. It was an ideal location for the event with a plethora of good bells in the surrounding area and a lovely town centre, dominated by Beverley Minster.

As usual the weekend started early with peal attempts on the Thursday and Friday, meaning some less insane members travelled up (or down) on the Wednesday. Never ones to back down from a challenge, we departed at 05:30 on the Thursday to drive the 200 miles to Escrick for a 10:00 meet. However, the distance seemed to have little effect on the ringing and all five peal attempts on the Thursday were scored.

Friday also involved another early start, this time an 08:30 meet at St Wilfrid, York. All of us then dashed to Selby for a peal of Avon. A very relaxing day! Peals were also scored at Elloughton, Hessle, Kirk Ella and Pocklington. We all congregated in the evening at The Tiger Inn for many, many pints of lemonade although all the grown ups seemed to prefer the ample selection of beer on offer!

The four peal attempts on the Saturday morning all had different start times; I was very pleased to be in the 12:30 start at Barrow upon Humber as I could have a nice lie-in after two early starts. My plans were thwarted by being dragged along to the inaugural Parkrun at Beverley, Westwood. It was definitely worth it for the extremely large full English breakfast afterwards, but I think I’ll stick with bell ringing!

Whilst we were venturing over the fantastic Humber Bridge to collect my third new county of the weekend, the general ringing tour went to St Mary’s Lowgate, Hull, Hull Minster, the newly augmented twelve at St Mary’s, Beverley and finished at Beverley Minster.

The meeting was held in St Mary’s Beverley and was preceded by refreshments including very tasty cakes. The meeting was relatively swift as we remembered David J R Martin who had recently passed away and elected one new member, P Barry Jones.

The especially keen stopped off for a drink on the way to Beverley Masonic Lodge which was the venue for the evening social. It comprised of a delicious “pie and pea supper” with gallons of gravy and lemon cheesecake (not together!) followed by a quiz which concluded a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

I diligently returned to the accommodation but many continued late into the evening, enjoying the wild nightlife that Beverley has to offer.

Many thanks go to the Master, Ben Constant, for co-ordinating the weekend and to James Blackburn and John Atkinson for organising the towers and the Saturday social, to Neville Pailing for hosting the challenging quiz for us and to David Wilson for the splendid array of cakes he provided before the meeting.

Daniel Page

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No peals have been rung for the Society July Country Meeting.